"I don't want a face that's well known," La Plante told blinkbox Books. "A search will go out to every drama school and acting academy. She has to explode onto the screen."

Helen Mirren previously played Tennison on ITV's Prime Suspect between 1991 and 2006.

"[The new actress] will have the most formidable task because they know who Helen Mirren is," La Plante added. "Helen Mirren has a very rare quality as an actress. She has an incredible weight to her, and stillness."

The writer also said it has been "terribly exciting' writing her prequel novel, which is expected to be published in 2015.

"The character Jane Tennison is only in her early 20s," she explained. "I've set it in Hackney, which was one of the toughest areas [at the time]."